2023 Arab Club Champions Cup
The 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, officially named the 2023 King Salman Club Cup after Salman of Saudi Arabia, where the final tournament was hosted, was the 30th season of the Arab Club Champions Cup, the Arab world's club football tournament organised by UAFA.
A total of 37 teams participated in the tournament, which started with preliminary and qualifying rounds, before the final tournament was held in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023 across four cities: Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif. A total of $10 million of prize money was awarded.
Moroccan side Raja CA were the defending champions, having won their second title in the previous edition, but they lost 3–1 in the [|quarter-finals] to Saudi team Al-Nassr. In the final, Al-Nassr defeated local rivals Al-Hilal 2–1 after extra time to win their first title.
Prize money and sponsorship
The prize money was as follows:Sponsorship of 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup:
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 Association team allocationA total of 37 teams participated in the tournament.On March 3, Egyptian club Al Ahly announced its withdrawal from the competition due to scheduling issues. Association rankingThe team entries allocation was based on the FIFA World Ranking of the associations on 22 December 2022.Format and distributionTeamsThe labels in the parentheses show each team's position from their last season domestic league table standing.'''Notes''' ScheduleThe schedule was as follows.Preliminary rounds4 teams played the preliminary rounds starting with the first round then a play-off round in a one-leg knockout format. 1 team from the preliminary round advanced to the qualifying rounds.Preliminary rounds teamsThe following teams entered the preliminary rounds as lowest FIFA ranking associations.
BracketFirst preliminary roundPlayoff roundQualifying rounds24 teams were drawn into two-leg knockout stage format. 23 teams entered directly to the first qualifying round, plus one team advanced from the preliminary round. 12 teams advanced to the second qualifying round playing a two-leg knockout stage format. 6 teams only advanced from the second qualifying round to the group stage.SeedingThe following 24 teams were divided based on their football association's FIFA Ranking.
'''Notes''' Bracket;Qualifier 1 ;Qualifier 2 ;Qualifier 3 ;Qualifier 4 ;Qualifier 5 ;Qualifier 6 First qualifying roundThe first legs were played between 13 March and 7 April 2023, and the second legs between 21 March and 16 April 2023. Notes ASFAR won 5–4 on aggregate. ---- Al-Wahda won 4–0 on aggregate. ---- 2–2 on aggregate. Tishreen won on away goals. ---- Al-Shabab won 5–1 on aggregate. ---- Al-Hilal Omdurman won 4–2 on aggregate. ---- 1–1 on aggregate. CS Sfaxien won on away goals. ---- Al-Ahli Tripoli won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Al-Nahda won 5–0 on aggregate. Al-Nahda were awarded a 3–0 walkover victory for the second leg after Shabab Al-Khalil refused to change the home ground from Dura International Stadium, in Dura, Hebron to Petra Stadium in Amman, Jordan. ---- US Monastir won 6–0 on aggregate. ---- 2–2 on aggregate. Al-Muharraq won 5–4 on penalties. ---- FC Nouadhibou won 4–2 on aggregate. ---- ''Kuwait SC won 2–1 on aggregate.'' Second qualifying roundThe second qualifying first legs were played between 7 May and 4 July 2023, and the second legs between 11 May and 7 July 2023.Notes Al-Wahda won 3–0 on aggregate. ---- Al-Shabab won 4–2 on aggregate. ---- CS Sfaxien won 2–1 on aggregate. ---- Al-Ahli Tripoli won 4–2 on aggregate. ---- US Monastir won 3–0 on aggregate. ---- ''Kuwait SC won 3–1 on aggregate.'' Final tournamentThe final tournament was held in Saudi Arabia from 27 July to 12 August 2023, across four cities: Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif. 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four. Ten teams already entered the group stage directly as league champions from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. In addition the previous edition holders and runners-up, and one invitee selected by UAFA from the host nation enters directly to the group stage. Six teams advanced from the qualifying rounds to complete the 16-teams group stage. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the knockout stage.Qualified teamsAll of the qualified teams for the group stage were as follows:
Seeding10 teams were directly qualified to the final tournament divided in pot 1, pot 2, and pot 3 based on their football association's FIFA Ranking. The other 6 teams' slots who qualified from the quaifying rounds were drawn in pot 3 and pot 4 prior to this stage.
Draw resultVenuesFinal tournament venues being played in Saudi Arabia in four host cities in Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif.OfficialsAsia zoneReferees
Referees
TiebreakersThe teams were ranked according to points. If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order :
---- Group B-------- Group C-------- Group D-------- Knockout stageQualified teamsThe knockout phase involved the 8 teams which qualified as winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the group stage. The quarter-finals were followed by semi-finals, and the final played in a single leg knockout format. In the case of a draw after 90 minutes, extra time would be played only in the final.
BracketQuarter-finals-------- ---- Semi-finals----FinalTop goalscorersFinal tournamentPreliminary and qualifying roundsBroadcastingThe following channels broadcast the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. |